"Absolutely horrific" militia and government attacks in Kasais

A former site for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near Kalemie, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was burned down when it was attacked by a militia group in early July. Credit: OCHA/Ivo Brandau

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) released a report on Friday of "absolutely horrific" accounts of killings and human rights violations against villagers in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report was based on interviews with nearly 100 refugees from the volatile region who have fled to neighbouring Angola.

UN investigators were able to confirm that between March and June, 251 people were the victims of extrajudicial and targeted killings, often carried out on the basis of ethnicity.